Here are some of the products I’ve been loving this month – although looking at this list, this blog post would probably be better off being named ‘Adventures in Poundland’…
Emma Hardie Amazing Face Super Rich Body Butter – £14.99 at TK Maxx (£29 RRP)
Ordinarily this body lotion would be out of my price range, but a well-timed visit to TK Maxx proved fortuitous and I totally took advantage.
The love for Emma Hardie’s skincare range (especially the Cleansing Balm) is well documented – you will find bloggers galore cataloguing the many ways they love Emma’s holistic approach to skincare.
I was quite surprised when I found the Body Butter on sale: I hadn’t known about the Emma Hardie body care range, and was (to put it mildly) – most intrigued. This Body Butter has quite a pedigree of impressive ingredients including shea butter and Inca Inchi oils from Peru, plus Omegas 3, 6 and 9.
I gave this Body Butter a try, and was utterly seduced. The delicate scent (a blend of Orange, Neroli and Mandarin essential oils) left my skin smelling frankly yummy. Having found other reviews, I do know that some have found the aroma too much – but me? I bloody loved it.
But fragrant skin aside, it turns out the body care range deserves just as much attention as the skincare: this Body Butter is not only luxurious but supremely hydrating; this is a substantial treat for your skin. Be advised that this is one of those body butters where it takes a little while to fully absorb into the skin, but that’s a small price to pay for such a phenomenal product.
Normally I wouldn’t advocate spending big on body products, as there are so many great budget buys around, but having tried this, the £29 price tag is entirely justified. Simply put, it’s the best body moisturiser I’ve ever used.
REN Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate – £42
When it comes to REN products, I may as well wear a badge pinned to my lapel declaring ‘World’s Biggest Fan’. This will now be the 5th product I’ve tried from the range and I’ve not only enjoyed using them all – I’ve been incredibly impressed by their quality and performance. For a mid-priced beauty brand, REN aren’t shy about using ingredients that make a material difference to your skin.
The Bio Retinoid concentrate is a perfect case in point: retinol is an excellent ingredient for treating the visible signs of ageing, but it can cause irritation. REN’s solution? Deliver it in an oil format. The skin recognises the oil molecule as something familiar, readily accepting it, and taking any ingredients embedded in the oil as well. It means that ingredients like retinol are then less likely to cause irritation, and can be used on a regular basis, producing real results.
I apply this under a night cream, and this really does leave your skin looking brighter, smoother and younger the next morning. It’s one of the most effective anti-agers I’ve used, and its formulation means you only need a few drops of the concentrate at a time. I’ve only been using this product for a few weeks, but I think this will be a returning favourite.
Elemental Herbology Bio-Cellular Matrix Facial Serum – £19.99 at TK Maxx, (£44 RRP); Cell Active Rejuvenation Moisturiser – £19.99 at TK Maxx (£59 RRP)
Yep, this is why I love TK Maxx so ruddy much. I just want to give it a great big, beauty-lovers hug.
Where else can you get top-notch skincare at bargain prices? Admittedly, you’ve got to bide your time with TK Maxx – the bargains are there for those who pop in on a regular basis and keep their eyes peeled. I was thrilled to get this serum (and errr…the moisturiser too – it seemed rude not to get the matching set). I was curious to see if Elemental Herbology’s products would live up to their reputation. I’m pleased to say that I have been wowed – and then some.
The moisturiser is a great anti-ageing product, but the biggest round of applause has to go to the serum. It smoothed rough, uneven patches of skin like a dream, visibly getting to work on fine lines and minimising signs of fatigue – and this was all on the first use. I was incredibly impressed, especially at how it refined the texture of my skin. It felt like I’d had some resurfacing treatment – the results were that good. I will continue to use this serum, and see if the improvements continue after the first initial applications, but so far – amazing.
Essie Nail Polish ‘Sole Mate’ – £8.99
I’m normally a ‘Bahama Mama’ girl when it comes to Essie’s selection of autumn / winter shades, but this year a chance encounter at the Boots stand saw me falling for another. ‘Sole Mate’ is a gorgeously dark berry shade, deeper than ‘Bahama Mama’ but still as addictively wearable. It needs two coats to get full coverage, and this adaptable shade gives a ‘polish’ (see what I did there) to any look.
Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner – £3.99 (£1 in Poundland)
I do love a beauty bargain, and they don’t come much more bargainous than a quid.
I came across this product in Poundland – I was thinking about getting a new conditioner and this cheery yellow tube called to me. I’d used the Bee Strong strengthening treatment a few years ago when medication turned my usually robust barnet into a weakened, fragile state. I was impressed with it, and I think it was those positive associations led me to pick up this conditioner. It was £1 – I frankly wasn’t expecting much.
I now feel quite humbled as I tell you that the Bee Strong conditioner is a marvel – my snobbish assumption that a budget conditioner couldn’t be up to much was well and truly blow out of the water. The Bee Strong conditioner took my frazzled, damaged hair and make it look (and feel) human again. My frizziness was replaced by smoothed (but not weighed down) locks – this conditioner struck the perfect balance in treating but not overwhelming. Up to this point, I had been struggling to find a product my hair could get along with. I was frankly astonished that this conditioner achieved where a pricier, salon brand had failed. I’ve done a bit of research and looked on the Boots website – and I am not alone – this conditioner has scores of reviews – and the average rating is 5 stars.
Bliss Sugar Scrub (Blood Orange & White Pepper) – £30
This body scrub holds a regular place in my beauty routine – if I’m applying a face / hair mask, I multi-task like nobody’s business and get this fabulous scrub to work. I do love a bit of Bliss and their body scrubs are particularly noteworthy. Substantial, but easy to work over the skin; hard-working but never scratchy – these scrubs are definitely on the pricey side, but considering how little you need each time, a tub lasts for AGES. The gorgeous scent is the icing on this particular cake: the blood orange and white pepper scent is a zesty, uplifting must for grey January days.
So there you have it – my favourites for January. Next month should prove interesting; it’s my birthday month which has already been used as a justification for a mini beauty splurge including MAC, Superfacialist by Una Brennan,
Barry M and an overnight glycolic peel from Superdrug.
HELEN TOPE
designergirl77 